Normal Things You May Notice After The Procedure:
- Increased fussiness and inconsolable crying during the first week
- Immediately after the procedure, it is best to give pain medication(s) in order to stay ahead of any discomfort. This may be necessary during the first few days and sometimes up to one week.
- Bleeding after doing the stretches
- Keep in mind that a little bit of blood in a pool of saliva is not as bad as it looks. This is not a concern and it is safe to feed your baby.•
- Difficulty with latch during the first week•
- Due to the initial soreness and re-learning of how to suck, feedings may being consistent during the first week. In some cases, latch or symptoms may worsen before it gets better. It is critical to follow up with your IBCLC for any feeding related issues.
- Increased choking and spitting up•
- Initially, babies may have a hard time adjusting to the change in latch. This is usually temporary and should be addressed with your IBCLC.
- Increased drooling and saliva bubbles.
- The healing process increases saliva production. Additionally, the new movement of tongue creates a surplus of saliva. This is usually temporary.
- Increased sleeping
- This may be due to medication, exhaustion, or that the infant is feeding better and is more satisfied. Sleep may also act as a coping mechanism for discomfort.
- Helpful Tips
- If your baby is extra fussy or inconsolable be sure to use lots of skin to skin contact. This increases oxytocin levels which lowers pain.
- If your baby is fussy and struggling to latch, try feeding your baby while taking a nice warm bath.
- If your little one is extra squirmy during stretching exercises and you do not have a second person there to help, try using a swaddle.
- Using good lighting and/or an LED head light during stretches really helps visualize the diamonds and ensures accurate and precise technique.
- Although not necessary, you may find the stretching exercises more comfortable using gloves.
- Frozen breast milk can act as a numbing agent and help with pain. Freeze milk flat in a baggie, chip off tiny pieces and place under lip or tongue and let it melt slowly.
- The stretches can be done before, after, or in the middle of a feeding- whatever seems to work best. It may be best to feed before the stretches during the first week as the infant is most sore at the time.